There are three types of assessments which teachers can use in the classroom. Diagnostic assessments allow teachers to determine what students already know and what remains to be learned. Formative assessments allow a teacher to monitor students' progress throughout a unit. These are things like worksheets, small quizzes, and KWL charts. Summative assessments come at the end of a unit and cover more material. These are things like essays and unit tests. As a teacher, I feel that it is important to use diagnostic, formative and summative assessments in the classroom and to use a variety of each because this allows students to demonstrate their learning in many different ways and allows for differentiation. Some students excel at unit tests while others freeze up when they are handed a unit test. Giving students several opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge gives them the tools to do the best that they can. I find that using a combination of assessments, such as journal entries, worksheets, participation marks, homework, reading, quizzes, and tests helps students to succeed because their whole mark isn't based on one big assignment or test at the end of the unit. Whenever possible, students should be given choices of assignment types. For example, during a final project for a short stories unit I gave students three choices for assignments - create artwork to represent a story, write an alternate ending for a story, or create a character sketch using a Facebook template on Microsoft Word [Grade 7 Final Project for Short Stories]. Such choices give students more control over their own success and motivates them because they can pick a project that interests them. Ultimately, I want students to succeed and I will do whatever I can to help them. I feel that by providing as many opportunities as possible for students to show what they know, I can help more of them to reach their full potential. To read my complete philosophy of assessment, please go here:
There are three types of assessments which teachers can use in the classroom. Diagnostic assessments allow teachers to determine what students already know and what remains to be learned. Formative assessments allow a teacher to monitor students' progress throughout a unit. These are things like worksheets, small quizzes, and KWL charts. Summative assessments come at the end of a unit and cover more material. These are things like essays and unit tests. As a teacher, I feel that it is important to use diagnostic, formative and summative assessments in the classroom and to use a variety of each because this allows students to demonstrate their learning in many different ways and allows for differentiation.
Some students excel at unit tests while others freeze up when they are handed a unit test. Giving students several opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge gives them the tools to do the best that they can. I find that using a combination of assessments, such as journal entries, worksheets, participation marks, homework, reading, quizzes, and tests helps students to succeed because their whole mark isn't based on one big assignment or test at the end of the unit.
Whenever possible, students should be given choices of assignment types. For example, during a final project for a short stories unit I gave students three choices for assignments - create artwork to represent a story, write an alternate ending for a story, or create a character sketch using a Facebook template on Microsoft Word [Grade 7 Final Project for Short Stories]. Such choices give students more control over their own success and motivates them because they can pick a project that interests them. Ultimately, I want students to succeed and I will do whatever I can to help them. I feel that by providing as many opportunities as possible for students to show what they know, I can help more of them to reach their full potential.
To read my complete philosophy of assessment, please go here: